The Exile Within By CommyGeek
by Commy-Geek
Summary: Daughter of the leader of the eldar Spartica V exodite colany, Melia must finally confront her father about the violent death of her mother, as well as confront things within herself that may have far reaching consequences in the dark times to come.


**Warning: this story is a work in progress. I havnt got behond half way through the first chapter so im simply posting this to get a reaction from all you lovly people. I have alot planned for this story so dont be dissapointed with where i have left it for the time being. ok, enjoy!!!**

Melia Taldena strode down the dark and brooding hallway of one of the ordinance buildings of her home, the Eldar controlled Spartica V. Her beautiful, alien eyes quickly glanced at her surroundings, noting the unusually sombre feeling that had permeated all the structures of the planets main city, located in the large tropical region that made up the majority of her people's adopted home world.

_The World Spirit must be unhappy _she thought as she turned a corner and headed towards the council chamber where her father awaited her.

As she walked, Melia subconsciously stroked her long, graceful fingers down her leg to a crease that spoiled the otherwise flawless appearance of the simple robe she had chosen for her meeting. A feeling of apprehension, something the Eldar rarely experienced let alone admitted to, had settled upon her since she had received her latest summons. As Melia strode with the graceful floating form indicative of her people (something that Lucas called her 'Skimmer Walk') towards her father's council chambers, she realised that this feeling of apprehension elated her, another feeling she thought unnatural to her species. _No, not unnatural_ she corrected herself, _unseemly_ was what it was. Feelings like these were supposed to be beneath her, not suitable even for an Exodite Eldarin such as herself. She would have to discuss these feelings further with Lucas after the meeting.

As she approached the door behind which her father awaited her, she felt another unusual rush of joy at spending time with the strange and fascinating Lucas. His eccentric views of the Eldar and their alien ways fascinated and confused her equally. However she pushed thoughts of the xeno away as she entered the chamber.

She knew how the conversation with her father would play out, as it had several times since Melia had returned to Spartica V from the Biel-Tan Craftworld several years before. The solitary existence that most Eldar followed had left few occasions for Melia and her father to spend time together. His position as leader of the Spartica V Exodites also meant that these rare occasions were normally cut short as his duties drew him away to deal with one of the many problems that a settlement of Eldar situated so close to alien controlled space inevitably attracted.

Galin Taldena stood staring out of the transparent wrathbone window that looked over the small city of Ger-Selis. Melia knew that he wasn't looking at the view at all, rather she realised he was deep within his own mind; contemplating some issue that one of the planets Seer's had inevitably bought to his attention in their constant visions of danger and impending doom. Seemingly unnoticed, Melia walked forward to her father's desk and touched the slowly pulsing viewing crystal set below its glassy surface. Lists of reports and requests appeared. Several were from the Biel-Tan Craftworld requesting raw materials to create new supplies of wrathbone, others were from numerous Exodite colonies attempting to curry favour with the influential position Melia's father had with the Biel-Tan.

"The path of governance is in thankless endeavour, daughter" Galin said, not moving his eyes from the view over the city. "The Seers have petitioned again for greater say in how our colony is run. Their arguments are becoming more and more persuasive".

Galin turned and approached his daughter, the small creep of a loving smile forming as he stopped and cupped Melia's face in his hands. His smile faded slightly as he stared into his daughter's eyes, replaced with a growing look of concern.

"What concerns you Melia? I sense you have buried troubles" Galin said, dropping his hands and crossing his arms in front of his chest. His look of concern changed to that of scorning parent. "You've been conversing with the Exile again haven't you. I've warned you of the chaotic and contradicting opinions their race have for us Eldarin. Why have you not heeded my warnings?" Melia let out a loud exhale of breath and turned away from her fathers gaze. She slowly paced round to the side of her fathers desk, picking up and examining an intricacy bone-sung crystal that had been a celebration gift given to Galin from Melia's grandparents following her birth.

"He isn't an Exile, father, as I have told you many times. You know why he does not wish to return to his people" she said, placing the crystal back in its place on the desk. "Remember it was you who agreed he could stay here".

Galin sensed Melia was attempting to change the subject, and with a last disapproving look at his daughter, he shook his head and walked round to the back of his desk, placing one of his long slender fingers against the glassy surface. With a flash of light a holographic box appeared hovering over the desk with a selection of stored messages displayed within it. With a wave of his hand, Galin selected one from the list and waited for its contents to be projected into the air in front him. From her angle, Melia could see it was written in the runes used by the Bel-Tain Eldar. A strange feeling began forming beneath the hardened bone plate of her stomach. Was it nervousness, she thought? Apprehension? Melia pushed this growing feeling away as she noticed her father staring at her through the simmering glow of the holographic projection.

"I received a message from the Guardian Warlock who commanded your training unit at Biel-Tan. He claims you acceptance into the Banshees was to be a forgone conclusion before you left to return here…" Galin paused just long enough to send a questioning glance at Melia before continuing. "He was inquiring as to the progress of you settling your affairs before returning to the Craftworld.

For a moment they both stood, meeting each others gaze. Melia waited to try and gauge her fathers feelings on her withholding the offer of such an honerble place within the Bel-Tain, while Galin looked for any sign from his daughter that may betray her reasoning to keep such an offer from him. Melia met her fathers gaze for seemed like an eternity before turning and walking towards the window. For a while she seemed entranced by the rising mist over the jungles that surrounded the city. Galin deactivated the hollow projection and joined his daughter at the window. Melia's face, bathed in the light from the twin suns still rising in the mid morning sky, reminded Galin of way his wife, Melia's mother, looked when some deep concern troubled her. The pain of loosing Natertisher so many years ago, although dulled by the passage of time, now flickered back into existence. Galin's own mind fled back to a time many decades before, to the very office where he now stood. Newly elected to his post of Spartica V's Overseer, he rememberd stretching his hand and caressing his hands through the holo-projected message informing him of his wifes death.

She had been discovered amongst the bodies of several Orks following a devastating raid by the fleeing remnants of an Ork Waaaagh, routed by a contingent of the Humans' geneticly enhanced warriors. The Bel-Tain Dire Avengers who had found her believed she had died fighting the Orks barehanded, killing all but the Ork Nob leading the beasts, leaving her impaled to a tree after injuring him so severely the creature had but enough strength to drag himself to a near by stream to die. The price of helping drive the Ork band from Spartica V, as well as its continued protection since had cost Galin's world dearly in natural resources. However, ever since the loss of his wife, Galin had sworn to prevent the violent death of any of his people, no matter what the price.

And now, staring at the furlong face of his only daughter, Galin realised that the refusal of her offer to be admitted into the Bel-Tain's Banshees would cost his relations with the Eldar Craftworld dearly. Deep inside of Melia he knew there lurked, like her mother, the soul of a violent and powerful warrior. Something Galin suspected the Exarch of the Bel-Tain Banshees had seen also. He pondered this for a while longer before Melia spoke, her eyes still lingering on the view that surrounded the windows of his office on the western edge of the ordinance building.

"You told me once, long ago, that my mother scared you sometimes. Why?" Galin let out a sigh, deciding to play along once again with his daughter's avoidance of the question he had asked her.

"Fear…" Galin eventually said, "is an emotion we Eldar do not generally experience. If you remember correctly I told you that I saw something within your mother that I could not compare with many others that had known previously".

"But that scared you, did it not father?"

"I….." Galin stopped, suddenly noticing his daughter was looking directly at him. Her face now displaying something he saw seldom on the face of any Eldar, uncertainty. "She…" Galin paused, his breath caught as a lump began to form is his throat. "Yes Melia. She scared me" he said. Looking away from his daughter and back out towards the jungle beyond the settlement. "Your mother had the soul of someone born for battle. It was something she hid from me from many years, believing if that if she were to ever set loose what was lurking inside of her, that she would forever follow the path of blood and war and death. At first I thought it was simply a longing to have left this planet long ago and join a warrior aspect. But it wasn't until the day she died, and her battle with the Ork band and its leader, that I realised there was an urge that she had spent her life resisting in order to stay here, planet bound, so she could raise you and stop herself falling to a road that would have lead her into the arms of Khaine".

Melia looked at her father, his own face now contorted in the effort to remember such painful memories of the dead person he still so dearly cherished. Galin turned and looked at his daughter. In his eyes Melia saw a resentment of her, as if she had plunged a blade deep into his heart. When he spoke, his voice was filled with pain, as if the memories of her mother and his beloved had been bought back to a point that his mind was having difficulty comprehending. "Why do you ask me such things Melia?" he said.


End file.
